Benitez spared gamble blushes

Sometimes, as a manager, you need a little help; for your team to come to the rescue to cover up an embarrassing mistake. And Rafael Benitez got more than he could ever have hoped for last night in a Champions League final that will live long in the memory.

As far as gambles go, it was like the Las Vegas punter who put all his chips on red and the ball landed on black. Unlike roulette, however, Benitez's decision to play Harry Kewell from the start in Istanbul didn't, on the face of it, appear a 50-50 chance. More like 90-10 with someone on whom it is very hard to rely upon these days.

It was so unlike the Spanish coach, normally so cautious, to go for broke with a man who hadn't completed 90 minutes since before Christmas. Even more surprising given Benitez had admitted going into this game that Kewell was only 80 per cent fit. So what was behind it?

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Perhaps it was to allow Steven Gerrard to play his usual game, not so advanced in support of Milan Baros. Perhaps Benitez had seen the way AC Milan imploded when PSV Eindhoven went for the jugular in the semi-final. Perhaps he had decided that the same forthright approach might do the trick. Cruelly and embarrassingly, it didn't come off in the first half.

Kewell picked up a knock soon after the first goal and you could see what was coming next since he never really looked as if he wanted to run it off.

Continual grimaces in the direction of the Liverpool bench eventually led to the No 7 coming off. Tens of thousands behind the goal started booing their player. Kewell, not knowing, applauded in kind.

From that moment on Liverpool were struggling. A rejigged formation with Luis Garcia moving inside to take the Australian's place was getting pulled from pillar to post as the Rossoneri set about dismantling their opponents. The discipline so inherent in Liverpool's marvellous journey, when everyone knew their job and stuck to it religiously, was melting sadly away in the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

And it was here where Dietmar Hamman's absence, due to Kewell's inclusion, was costing Liverpool dear. Milan's midfield was being given free reign.

Andrea Pirlo was starting it from deep, dictating the tempo, and the elusive Kaka made the very most of his lot, ingeniously supplying his strikers with a succession of chances.

Neither Gerrard nor Xabi Alonso could get anywhere near in order to disrupt the incessant onslaught. How they were missing the canny German's presence in front of the back four, intercepting danger before it had a chance to flourish.

Benitez had clearly seen enough and reverted to type for the second half. Hamman came on, Liverpool tightened up and somehow found the heart and inspiration to mount a thrilling fightback.

Crucially for Benitez, though, one half of his original strike-force didn't let him down. Baros, ploughing a lone furrow up front, played superbly well.

His prodigious work ethic was being complemented effectively by an intelligence that, in fairness, isn't always present. It certainly kept Jaap Stam and Allesandro Nesta right on their toes.

The little striker's busy runs into space, his ability to hold up the ball was giving teammates valuable time to get up and support.

It was a heroic performance from the Czech Republic player, probably his last in a Liverpool shirt.

He thoroughly deserved the emphatic ovation that came his way when Djibril Cisse came on in his place with five minutes remaining of the 90 minutes.

From all of his players, the relieved Benitez could not have honestly asked for anything more.